Fear of Lost Memories
by elizabethday
Summary: Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for one year, but their love is threatened when Elizabeth is in an accident. The last thing she remembers is the Meryton Assembly where she decided she didn't like Mr. Darcy. What will happen between them?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Elizabeth, sweetheart, wake up." Fitzwilliam Darcy kissed his wife's forehead. "Elizabeth."

"What?" she grumbled.

"You need to wake up. Georgiana is leaving this morning and we have to see her off."

"It's so early," she complained.

"I know, but it's a very long journey to Paris, and we won't see her for months. So wake up! Kathryn is waiting in your dressing room."

Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy had been married for nearly a year and she had woken up to his kisses every morning. The only difference was that she was usually allowed to sleep in later. Darcy's sister, Georgiana, was leaving for Paris. She was going with her aunt and uncle for six months and they were leaving very early that morning.

Elizabeth stumbled groggily into her dressing room. She undressed herself and got into the bath that her maid, Kathryn, had drawn. Lizzy wished that she had time to relax in the warm water, but unfortunately, she was in a hurry. She quickly got out of the tub and Kathryn helped her dress before arranging her hair. Finally, she was finished, and Elizabeth moved into their sitting room.

Her handsome husband was all ready. He was wearing a navy jacket, a creme waistcoat with light blue pinstripes, long tan trousers, a white shirt, and a lacy cravat.

"Well, aren't you dashing, sir," complimented Lizzy as she walked into the room.

"Elizabeth, you look stunning," breathed her husband. Elizabeth laughed. She was wearing a simple light blue gown, nothing special. She wore no jewels, only a silver locket, and her hair was in a simple bun at the nape of her neck.

"You flatter me, as this is nothing but an every day dress."

"Nothing is an every day dress on you, my dear." He nuzzled her neck as he rubbed his hands up and down her back.

"Fitzwilliam Darcy, stop this flattery! I believe that I am awake this early because there is a certain sister we must say goodbye to."

He sighed dramatically. "And here I was, wanting to keep you in bed all day long. I guess you're correct. We're probably late as it is." He took her arm as they made their way downstairs to the grand foyer.

Waiting for them downstairs was Georgiana, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam, and Colonel Fitzwilliam.

"Georgiana, are you prepared?" asked Lizzy.

"Yes. Oh, I'm going to miss you all so much!" Georgiana fled into her brother's arms, struggling not to cry.

"No, you're not. You're going to have the time of your life," soothed Darcy.

"Georgiana Darcy, you must write to us," said Elizabeth as she hugged her sister. "And you are not allowed to fall in love with a Frenchman, or else we'll never see you again." She laughed, as Darcy scowled.

"Oh, you musn't worry about that! I will be focusing solely on art and architecture and music. Not men!"

"Uncle, please take good care of her." Darcy was very protective of his loved ones, and the thought of anything happening to his wife or sister was terrifying to him.

"Don't worry, Son. She will be perfectly safe."

The group hugged once more before Georgiana and the older Fitzwilliams climbed into the carriage. Lizzy and Darcy remained on the front steps until the carriage was out of sight. They had breakfast together in their sitting room, before separating to attend their duties.

Darcy spent the day in his study working on some urgent business matters and Elizabeth spent the morning in a meeting with Mrs. Reynolds and the afternoon working in the garden. The garden was her place of rest. She loved working in the soil and helping the beautiful plants to grow. She spent as much time as she could working on it. Unfortunately, she had to return inside early because she and her husband had a dinner party that night.

Before going to her dressing room, she decided to see how her husband's work was getting along. She walked to his study and knocked on the door, hoping he was alone.

"Come in," barked a very stern voice.

"Bad day, Darling?"

He smiled wearily as he realized who had entered. "It's much better now that I get to see your face. Do you need something, Elizabeth?"

She made her way behind him and started massaging his shoulders.

"No, I just wanted to see what you are up to and remind you that we have a dinner party at the Hubert's tonight."

He groaned. "Another dinner party? Maybe I should've stayed single. There were not nearly as many dinner parties when I didn't have a beautiful woman on my arm."

She playfully swatted his head. "Maybe you should have. But then you wouldn't have such delectable kisses to look forward to each night." She sat on his lap and kissed him passionately.

"Hmm I suppose so. But Elizabeth, sweetheart, you must stop because we have somewhere to be. And if you continue in this manner any longer, I'm afraid we won't get anything accomplished."

She tore herself away from him and pouted. "I suppose you're right. But Mr. Darcy, I can assure you that tonight we will pick up where we left off." She got up and flounced out of the study toward her dressing room.

An hour later, she was sitting in the parlor, waiting for her husband to appear. He walked in wearing a black jacket and black trousers with a white waistcoat and shirt.

"I imagine I have the most debonair husband in all of England," said Elizabeth. She rose from her seat and took his arm.

"I doubt that, however, I am positive that I have the most gorgeous wife in all of England." Elizabeth was stunning in a deep red gown that accentuated her figure. She wore a ruby necklace and ruby and diamond pins were holding her hair in a very complicated arrangement. She was the picture of elegance and grace.

"Fitzwilliam, we are going to be late if we do not hurry. The Hubert's are expecting us in a quarter of an hour."

Mr. Darcy sighed. "I suppose you're right. Let's get on with it."

The couple ascended into the waiting carriage and began their ride to the Hubert's home. They arrived with perfect timing and were greeted by their good friends.

"Elizabeth! Welcome! You are looking well," Sally Hubert welcomed her guests, "and Mr. Darcy, we're so glad that you have come."

"Sally, it's so good to see you! It's been much too long. Two months I'd guess? And Mr. Hubert, thank you for welcoming us into your home." Elizabeth said as she curtsied to their hosts. Darcy and John Hubert escorted their wives to the parlor where two other couples were waiting. Jacob and Isabel Harrington had been childhood friends with Mr. Darcy and were very pleased to add Elizabeth into the mix. Elizabeth immediately went to their friends.

"Isabel, dear, how are you?" she hugged her friend. "How have you been feeling? You look marvelous!" Isabel was five months pregnant and it had not been an easy pregnancy.

"Thank you, Lizzy. I am feeling much better today. The last few weeks have actually been easier. I don't get sick nearly as often."

"How unfortunate that you've been so ill. My pregnancy was very easy. I don't think I even lost my figure." Ruth Anderson joined the conversation. She and her husband, Mark, were only acquaintances with the Darcy's. Elizabeth didn't particularly like the woman. She reminded her too much of Caroline Bingley.

"That is very fortunate, Mrs. Anderson. And, pray, how is little Camelia? How old is she now?" Elizabeth was ever polite.

"Oh, she's fine. Camelia is now three years old. A bit of a hellion, actually. Thank goodness for the nanny. Still no baby for you, Mrs. Darcy?"

Elizabeth blushed. It was a source of insecurity for her. She had yet to conceive, and was worried that there was something wrong with her. Ruth Anderson suspected as such and attacked Elizabeth's vulnerability. Fortunately, Elizabeth was saved from answering by her husband.

"Not yet, Mrs. Anderson, but it's not from lack of trying, I assure you." He said with a perfectly straight face.

The women gasped. Elizabeth had to hold back a laugh as she saw the horror on Ruth Anderson's face.

"Mrs. Darcy, dinner is being served."

Lizzy rose and was barely able to save face as she allowed her husband to escort her to the dining room.

"Fitzwilliam Darcy, that was cruel. You nearly gave poor Mrs. Anderson a heart attack!" Elizabeth giggled quietly.

"Elizabeth, it was not fair of her to attack you like that and I will not apologize for what I said. Besides, it was the most amusing moment of the night.

The dinner was delicious and afterwards, rather than separating as was customary, they had a little impromptu ball. The women took turns playing the pianoforte as the other couples danced. Lizzy loved to dance, and that love only increased as she realized what a phenomenal dancer her partner was.

Elizabeth and Darcy were in the middle of a lively dance, when Elizabeth swooned. Darcy caught her before she hit the floor. He quickly picked her up and carried her to the couch.

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth, darling, wake up," Darcy was panicked. "Someone call a doctor!"

"Mr. Darcy, I'm sure she's fine. She probably just overexerted herself." Mrs. Anderson called nonchalantly from her spot at the pianoforte. Her comment was met with a deathly glare.

A servant quickly arrived with a pitcher of water and a rag. Mrs. Hubert applied herself to dabbing her friend's forehead. Mr. Darcy kept touching her face and stroking hair, begging her to wake up. Only a moment later did she open her eyes.

"Oh, thank goodness. Elizabeth, how do you feel?" asked Darcy anxiously.

"I-I'm fine. What happened?"

"I'm afraid you fainted, dear. Can I get you anything?" asked Isabel Harrington.

"No thank you, I'm really fine I can assure you." She tried to rise but was gently pushed back down on the couch by an adamant husband.

"Elizabeth Darcy, lay back down please. Mr. Hubert sent for the carriage and we'll get you back to Pemberley soon."

His words were met with a look of defiance. "As I said, I am fine. The dancing must have been too strenuous for me. Please allow me to rise, Mr. Darcy." She did not take kindly to being told what to do. The onlookers had to stifle a laugh at the stubborn looks on the couple's faces.

Fortunately, they were kept from making a scene by the arrival of the carriage. Mr. Darcy allowed Elizabeth to walk, but he made sure to support her the whole way. They said their quick goodbyes and made their way back to Pemberley.

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Once in the carriage, Darcy questioned Lizzy again. "Elizabeth, there is no way that the dancing was 'too strenuous.' You are in excellent shape. Please tell me what really happened? Mr. Hubert sent a servant to get the doctor, and he will meet us at Pemberley, but I would like to hear it from you."

"Fitzwilliam, you are being utterly ridiculous. I told you, I am perfectly fine." This was met by a very dark look from her stubborn husband, so she acquiesced. "Darling, I really do feel normal. When we were dancing, I began to feel a little hot and faint, but I didn't think it anything I couldn't handle. The next thing I knew I was lying on the couch staring up into everyone's faces. I don't know what to tell you, besides I was just a little warm."

Darcy scowled. "Well, it still doesn't make since. I suppose the doctor may be able to tell us something."

They arrived at Pemberley a short time later and Elizabeth was furious to be picked up by Darcy and carried to their room.

"Mr. Darcy, I told you that I do not need to be babied. I am feeling perfectly normal and you are being foolish, sir."

He laid her down on the bed and summoned the maid. "Kathryn, please help Mrs. Darcy into her nightgown. The doctor will be here in a moment. And you, Mrs. Darcy," he whispered into her ear, "are a treasure, and I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you. That is why I 'baby' you."

He kissed her forehead then left the room to talk with Mrs. Reynolds as Kathryn helped Lizzy out of her dress and into her nightgown. They had just finished when Darcy returned, followed by the doctor.

"Mrs. Darcy, I heard that you fainted. How are you feeling?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Dr. Canton, it was not the ordeal that my husband makes it out to be. I am feeling perfectly wonderful aside from the fact that I am being treated like an invalid."

Dr. Canton smiled condescendingly. "Well, Mrs. Darcy, it is never a good sign when one loses consciousness, even for only a moment. Please tell me what happened."

Elizabeth conceded to tell the doctor precisely what she told her husband. The doctor did a routine exam before declaring that she was healthy and that it must have been the heat. He quickly put his instruments away and exited the room.

"Well, Mr. Darcy, what did I tell you?" Elizabeth was still very angry that her husband had called the doctor over nothing.

"You were apparently correct, Dear. I'm just glad that it wasn't anything serious. Please forgive me for 'babying' you."

"I suppose I can do that," she sighed playfully.

"Oh, well thank you, Madame," he responded dryly. "How very kind of you."

Elizabeth suddenly grew serious. "Fitzwilliam, I've been thinking about something else that happened tonight."

"Ruth Anderson?" he guessed.

Elizabeth nodded. "Why haven't we conceived yet? Is there something wrong with me?"

Darcy hugged his wife. "No, Elizabeth, there is nothing wrong with you. The Good Lord just doesn't think it is the right time yet."

"I'm sure you must be so disappointed with me."

"Elizabeth Darcy, you listen to me. I love you. I love you so much that I don't care if we have children or not. I would love to fill the rooms in this house with a bunch of baby Darcy's, but I will love you no less if we do not. However, I firmly believe that we will have children." He proceeded to kiss away her tears. "You are my life and nothing could ever change that."

He climbed in bed with his wife and spent the night showing her exactly how much he loved her.

Unfortunately, both were rudely woken up early the next morning when Elizabeth jumped out of bed and sprinted for a chamber pot. Darcy followed her, concerned, and he held her hair back as she vomited.

"Elizabeth, sweetheart, what can I do for you?" He hated feeling helpless.

She shook her head, unable to talk. Finally, nothing was left in her stomach and she allowed her husband to carry her to the couch in her dressing room. After lying there in silence for a few minutes and eating a few bites of bread, she declared that she felt much better.

"Curiously enough, I feel wonderful. I must have just eaten something bad last night."

Darcy looked at her doubtfully but said nothing. The two separated to get dressed, but while he was waiting on his wife, he instructed Mrs. Reynolds to keep careful watch on Elizabeth in case she got sick again. He was to be told immediately if anything were wrong.

The two went about their day as usual. Darcy spent most of the day in his study and Elizabeth spent much of hers writing to her family and meeting with Mrs. Reynolds. Elizabeth had just begun getting ready for dinner when Darcy barged through the door of her dressing room.

"Fitzwilliam, what's wrong?" she asked as she anxiously stood to her feet.

Darcy started pacing. "I just got word that there is some urgent business that I must attend to in London. I will leave early in the morning. It will take no more than three weeks. I promise."

The two had not been apart since their wedding day. They knew that it would have to happen eventually, but this caught them completely unawares. Elizabeth was silent for a moment, trying to get ahold of her emotions.

"W-well, we knew this would happen at some point." Darcy held his wife in his arms. "I feel so silly for being so upset about being apart from you, but I can't help it. You'll just have to finish your business quickly and hurry back to me." She put on a brave face and kissed her husband passionately.

"Trust me, my dear. I will gallop the whole way home."

"You most certainly will not. I need you to come home in one piece, so that I can love you completely when you return." She raised her eyebrow seductively.

Darcy groaned. "Now you're just begging for me to ride at a breakneck speed. Can't you just love me right now?"

She consented and they skipped dinner, preferring to satisfy a different hunger.

The next morning, Elizabeth awoke to an empty bed and tumultuous stomach. Again, she ran to the chamber pot, but this time there was no one to comfort her and hold her hair back as she focused on not spilling the contents of her stomach. This thought brought her to tears and she cried on the floor for nearly thirty minutes, already missing her husband. Finally, she returned to their bed, intent on getting a few more hours of sleep. She then noticed a letter and a pink rose on Darcy's pillow. She grinned widely as she read the contents:

My Dearest Elizabeth,

I shudder at the thought of leaving you, my love, for any amount of time. You are the most important person in my life and I shall think of you constantly. My solicitors will dislike me greatly by the end of the trip because I am certain that I will be in the worst of moods. I will write to you daily, have no fear of that, as I must be in constant communication with you, my dear Lizzy. Find something to occupy your time, I can't bear the thought of you being miserable for three weeks. Please visit friends and shop, or redecorate a room! Just make every effort to entertain yourself, as neither of us have the entertainment that we prefer.

Lizzy smirked at what she knew he was insinuating.

I will return to Pemberley as soon as I am able. One more thing, please do not do anything reckless. Elizabeth Darcy, if anything should happen to you it would kill me. I love you more than you could possibly imagine.

Yours,

Fitzwilliam Darcy

Elizabeth sighed, and clutched the letter to her heart as she drifted off back to sleep.

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Elizabeth spent the next week moping around Pemberley. She completed her duties, but there was nothing interesting. Nothing unusual. Except for one thing.

It was the sixth morning she had woken up nauseous and she was finally beginning to feel concerned. It wasn't like her to be so sick, and it confused her that she always felt fine afterwards. Of course, she didn't write about it to Darcy. If he knew she was even somewhat ill he would be back at Pemberley in a matter of hours, however, she did decide to ask Mrs. Reynolds about it that afternoon.

They met in Elizabeth's parlor in the morning, as usual, to plan the day's menu and go over other items of business. The housekeeper and mistress were finishing up matters when Elizabeth finally got up the nerve to ask her question.

"Mrs. Reynolds," she began.

"Yes, Mrs. Darcy?"

"I have a question to ask you, of a rather personal nature, I suppose. You see, I've been nauseous every morning for the last week and, as you know, I fainted at the Hubert's. I was wondering if, perhaps, there were a chance I could be with child."

Mrs. Reynolds smiled happily. "It certainly sounds like it ma'am. May I ask, when was your last cycle?"

Elizabeth blushed. "I am two weeks late."

"Well, of course we don't know for certain, but it sounds like it, Mrs. Darcy. Why don't I send for Dr. Canton and he can tell us?"

Elizabeth's eyes filled with unshed tears as she nodded. "Thank you very much Mrs. Reynolds."

"Oh, my dear," began Mrs. Reynolds in an uncharacteristic show of matronly affections, "you are so very welcome. We shall pray that it be true."

And it was true. Doctor Canton came by that afternoon and confirmed their suspicions. Elizabeth despite her joy, was in tears, wishing Darcy was there to rejoice with her.

"Mrs. Darcy, should I send a groom to London with a note for Mr. Darcy?" asked Kathryn.

"No, thank you. I believe I will wait until he returns."

Kathryn thought her mistress looked adorable. She was laughing and crying at the same time.

"Kathryn, can you believe it? We will have a Darcy heir running around here in less than nine months."

"I'm sure the baby will be a beauty ma'am.

Elizabeth's emotions were up and down during the next few days, magnified by her husband's absence. The two exchanged letters daily, but she missed his touch. Darcy could hear the difference in her tone when he read her letters. He addressed it specifically in a letter:

...Elizabeth, I'm worried about you. Your letters are not as lively as

I have come to expect. Is everything alright? I should hope you

wouldn't hide anything from me. Perhaps I should write Mrs. Reynolds

and make sure that everything is as it should be...

Elizabeth responded very saucily:

...Fitzwilliam, if you ask me one more time if everything is alright,

I will stop writing you all together. I can promise you that everything

is perfect and there is no reason for you to worry so. Nor should you

worry poor Mrs. Reynolds. Enjoy your trip in London. Go to the fencing

club, ride your horse, and most importantly, finish your business as

soon as you can because I am anxious to see you...

She was actually very antsy and needed to get out out of the house. Her daily treks around the grounds were not helping much, so she decided on the Wednesday of Darcy's second week away that she would visit Jane. Jane and Charles had moved to an estate ten miles south of Pemberley six months ago and Jane had given birth to a baby girl, Alyssa, a mere four months ago. Elizabeth was itching to see the baby again, especially since she would soon have one of her own. She requested the carriage be brought around so she could make the short trip. One of the menservants, Mr. Collier accompanied her, along with the driver, for extra protection. Elizabeth was positive that there was nothing she would need to be protected from, but her husband's request for safety echoed through her head and she didn't want to chance it.

Halfway through the short ride, Elizabeth was trying to keep her food down. The swaying carriage was making her feel sick and it was all she could do to not give way to the feeling. She finally felt as if she was over the nauseousness when the carriage lurched and tumbled. She screamed before seeing nothing but darkness.

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Fitzwilliam Darcy had made record time to London. As soon as he arrived he set to work. He was rarely at Darcy House and made sure to keep his presence in Town unknown, because he didn't want the obligation of appearing at any social functions. Darcy's prediction that his solicitors would dislike him would have been true had he not been paying them outrageous sums to manage his affairs. He was short, stern, and very impatient. He missed his wife immensely and wrote her one, if not two or three, letters every day.

Her emotions varied greatly in her letters, and it bothered him. Some days she would be exceedingly happy and others Darcy could tell that she was irritable or depressed. She never said as much, but he was well aware of the differences. It drove him crazy that there was nothing he could do-that he was unable to see her face and judge the cause of the emotions for himself. Any inquiries he made of her were met with frustration and anger. He wrote to Mrs. Reynolds, as he threatened to, but that didn't shed any light on the matter. Mrs. Reynolds was naturally respectful, but very reserved in her answers. Darcy's only consolation was that he would be returning to Pemberley soon enough.

A week before he was to leave London, Mr. Darcy was sitting in his study, discussing business with one of his solicitors. He was becoming very frustrated, as some of his business partners were not cooperating with him. He was staring out the window, trying to come up with a solution to a problem, when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

The housekeeper, Mrs. Elliot walked in the room, followed by an exhausted Pemberley groomsman.

Darcy stood, panicked. The appearance of a Pemberley groom caught him off guard and he was sure something had happened.

"Joseph, what are you doing here? What has happened?"

"Sir, there's been an accident," he panted. "Mrs. Darcy has been hurt."

Darcy inhaled sharply. "Hurt? What do you mean, 'hurt?' How badly? Has a doctor been sent for? Mrs. Elliot, have my horse saddled. I want to be ready to leave in ten minutes."

"She was on her way to visit Mrs. Bingley and the carriage overturned. She remains unconscious and there was a lot of blood. Another groom was sent for the doctor the moment that I was sent for you. That is all I know. I'm sorry sir."

Darcy had to grab onto the chair to keep from falling. His Lizzy was hurt, unconscious. He could't lose her. He just couldn't. He had to do something. He quickly apologized to his solicitor and strode out the room. He mounted his horse and galloped off, afraid of what he would find when he reached his home.

The ride from London to Pemberley usually took around two days on horseback, but he rode it in less than one. His poor horse was exhausted by the time they slammed to a halt in front of Pemberley. Darcy hardly waited for the horse to stop before jumping off and rushing into the house. The servants knew their Master would be home as quickly as possible, however, they were still surprised at how quickly he made it.

Mrs. Reynolds hurried into the foyer to greet her master.

"Mrs. Reynolds, I assume Mrs. Darcy is in our bedchamber?"

"Yes sir, but first would you like to talk to the doctor? He is in the parlor, as he was just telling me how to care for Mrs. Darcy."

Darcy stiffly nodded and followed his housekeeper into the parlor. A very grave Doctor Canton rose to greet him.

"Mr. Darcy, we did not expect you to make it back so quickly. I'm very glad you are here."

"How is she, Dr. Canton?" Darcy's face was a mask of calmness. Only those closest to him would recognize the terror behind his eyes.

"Well, the good news is she is still alive."

Darcy closed his eyes and tried to still his trembling hands. "What happened?"

"Mrs. Darcy was on her way to the Bingley residence with Jeffors driving and Mr. Collier escorting her. They were halfway there, when the wheel of the carriage broke, sending the carriage toppling over a ravine. One of the horses had to be put down and Jeffors broke his ankle. Mr. Collier managed to escape with minor cuts and bruises, but I am afraid Mrs. Darcy got the worst of it. Oh, sir, I am so sorry." Mrs. Reynolds had to turn away to hide the tears in her eyes.

"Dr. Canton, what did you find?" Darcy was completely still, his lips pressed in firmly in a line. He was doing his best to resist the urge to run upstairs to his wife.

"During the crash, her head apparently met with a hard object. She remains unconscious. I am afraid there may be some brain damage, but we will not know until she awakens," he hesitated, "Mr. Darcy, I have to warn you that there is a possibility she might not wake up."

Darcy paused, his posture rigid as he processed what he just heard. "What else, Dr. Canton? I'm sure there is more," he choked out moments later.

"Well, sir, she also suffered a broken wrist, but I have set that and it should heal quickly. There is one more thing." The doctor hesitated, dreading the news he was about to give the Master of Pemberley. "Mrs. Darcy was with child."

"My wife is pregnant? Why wasn't I told before this? Did Elizabeth, I mean Mrs. Darcy, know? Will this hurt the baby?" Then realization dawned on him. "You said was." His voice cracked. "Does this mean she-she lost the baby?"

"I'm afraid she did," whispered Dr. Canton. "She was bleeding heavily when they brought her in-much too heavily for there to be any doubt. I am so very sorry."

Dr. Canton had never seen the Master of Pemberley so overcome with emotion. He whispered a few more directions to Mrs. Reynolds before quietly taking his leave.

"Mr. Darcy, can I get you anything?" Mrs. Reynolds asked, interrupting his tumultuous thoughts.

"Have Mr. and Mrs. Bingley been sent for?" Mrs. Reynolds nodded. "Then there is nothing else. I will go see my wife now. Thank you Mrs. Reynolds."

Darcy slowly climbed the stairs to their shared bedchamber. His desire to see his wife was temporarily overcome by the shock he had just received. She was pregnant, he thought. She was pregnant and didn't tell me, and now there is no baby. And there may be no Elizabeth. That last thought made his knees buckle. He entered the nearest empty room and sobbed. Eventually, he was able to collect himself and continue on to his wife.

He walked in to see Elizabeth lying on their bed. Kathryn had been keeping watch over her, but at Mr. Darcy's entrance she curtsied and left him alone. Darcy rushed over and kneeled by the bed, taking his wife's hand.

"Elizabeth, how could this have happened? I told you to stay safe. I told you that I need you, that I can't live without you. Please, you have to wake up. Please."

He was exhausted from his grueling ride and fell asleep kneeling by his wife's bed. He was woken by a hand on his shoulder.

"Darcy," whispered Bingley, "you have to get up and lie in your bed. This position isn't good for you."

"I-I didn't realize I had fallen asleep," he said as he stood to his feet.

"Mr. Darcy, how is my sister?" asked a very teary Jane.

Darcy haltingly told his brother and sister-in-law what had transpired and what the doctor had said, leaving out the miscarriage. Jane paled significantly when she was told that her sister may not wake up and Bingley forced her to sit down.

"Darcy, you need to get some sleep. You look absolutely exhausted."

"Absolutely not. I will not leave my wife," said Darcy harshly to his friend.

"I'll stay with her, Mr. Darcy. You don't need to worry. We would summon you if there were any change. Besides, you wouldn't be any good to her if you were dead on your feet when she woke up," added Jane softly.

"Thank you, but no. I will not leave this room," he replied stubbornly.

Bingley would have argued further, but he had never seen such a look of sadness and terror on his friend's face and he too worried to say anymore.

"Then why don't I call for Mrs. Reynolds to bring you up some tea and a bite to eat?"

Darcy nodded absently.

Jane found herself nervous as she approached what she thought was a very tentative subject.

"Mr. Darcy, would you like me to write Georgiana and tell her what has occurred?"

Darcy groaned. "It hadn't even crossed my mind. I would greatly appreciate it, Jane. Please tell her that there is no reason for her to rush home, that Elizabeth will be fine. Both of us would feel much better if she would remain on the continent and enjoy the remainder of her stay. She's hardly been there but a week! I suppose you must write your family as well?"

"I suppose so, Mr. Darcy, however, I will only tell Mama the minimum. She would go into hysterics and invade your home if she thought Lizzy was in any true danger and we all know that would do more harm than good. I'll send my father a separate letter telling him of everything that has occurred. Is that your preference?"

"Jane, you have already been so helpful and I appreciate it greatly."

Jane curtsied and quickly left the room, looking for somewhere solitary to cry before attending to the letters.

"Charles, I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless. I have to do something."

"Unfortunately, Darcy, this is one of the rare times that you have no control. I am sorry. We must pray and hope for the best. Is there anything that you need me to do?"

"I'm sure my steward will be able to handle everything adequately."

The two men were then silent for the remainder of the day, one man's thoughts completely occupied with thoughts of his wife and the other's thoughts filled with the shock of seeing his usually steadfast friend in such a state.

Charles eventually left as he and his wife went to bed. Darcy remained in a chair by Elizabeth, afraid to even let go of her hand. He didn't eat anything, despite the cajoling by Mrs. Reynolds.

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next day, Charles, Jane, and Darcy remained in the room with Elizabeth. Jane had to leave often to nurse Alyssa, but otherwise, the three were in constant vigil at her bedside.

One of the times that Jane was away, Charles stood up and began pacing.

"Darcy, you have to stop berating and torturing yourself." Darcy looked up in surprise.

"Bingley, it's my fault. I should have been here with her," his head fell to his hands. "I should have protected her from this."

"And how would you have done that, may I ask? You could have no more stopped that carriage from overturning. Look at me, Darcy," he commanded in an uncharacteristic display of authority, "this is not your fault. Elizabeth will be fine."

"No. It is my fault, because if I had of known about the bab-" he stopped as he realized what he was about to divulge. He knew that he could tell his friend, but it felt private somehow.

"If you had known about what?"

"Nothing." Charles glowered at Darcy until he relented. "If I had of known about the...baby."

"The baby?" asked Charley in confusion.

"Elizabeth was with child. I wasn't aware. If I had known, I would not have let her travel. I would have been exceedingly careful with her and our baby. But now, there is no child." Darcy's face was a mask devoid of any emotion. Bingley was shocked beyond words, partly because of the new development and partly because his friend's eyes looked so dead.

"Fitzwilliam Darcy, you are being absurd. Even had you known, you would not have kept Elizabeth from going to see Jane. She would have done that whether you were here or not. It is not your fault. It was a fluke occurrence."

"Damnit, Bingley! I know that! But I could have done something. She would be awake, with us right now, rejoicing over the coming birth of our child if I had just been here!"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Mrs. Reynolds entered followed by Dr. Canton. Bingley left the room and he quickly examined her.

"Any changes?"

"None that I can tell, Mr. Darcy. It will be best, however, if she does wake up in the next day or so. For some reason, coma patients are much less likely to wake up after the third day. Other than that, I have nothing else to tell you. I will be back tomorrow morning to assess her progress."

Darcy spent the rest of the afternoon standing by the window, thinking. Charles knew better than to interrupt and made his way to the study where he wrote some letters to his own solicitors. Dinner was served in dining room, but Darcy did not partake of it.

That night, he decided to sleep in bed with his wife. He had been assured by the doctor that he would not do any damage just by being in the same bed. It was a huge relief, and he slept deeply. He was woken in the middle of the night, however, by a groan. He quickly lit a candle and held it up by Elizabeth's face. She was stirring!

"Elizabeth, darling, wake up. You're safe now. Wake up, I'm here."

She finally managed to open her eyes and she screamed, causing Darcy to jump and the servants to come running. Her eyes were wide with fright and she kept inching to the edge of the bed.

"Mr. Darcy, what are you doing? Where am I?" Her eyes filled with tears. "Please! Mr. Darcy, get out of my room!"

"Elizabeth, sweetheart, you're safe. You're in our bedchambers at Pemberley. There was an accident, but you're fine now." He tried to comfort her softly.

"Pemberley? Mr. Darcy, why on earth am I at Pemberley and not at home? Where is Jane? Wait, our bedchambers?" His usually calm and unshakeable wife was frantic.

"Elizabeth, listen to me. There was an accident. You hit your head very hard and it knocked you out. You probably have a bad headache and your wrist probably hurts. Calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down? You, Mr. Darcy need to leave. I don't know what you are doing in my bedchamber, but it is most improper." She burst into hysterics. Darcy tried to comfort her by hugging her, but she flinched away.

Mrs. Reynolds stepped forward. "Sir, should I send for the doctor?"

"Yes. And please send for Mrs. Bingley."

Darcy was at a loss. It was as if his wife didn't remember that they were married. She seemed to think that he was in her bedchambers inappropriately. All he wanted was to comfort her, but that frightened her more. She seemed to trust Kathryn, so he left the maid to comfort her mistress and he paced the floor of the sitting room.

Jane came rushing in, demanding to know what the problem was. Darcy filled her in and she made her way into the bedroom.

Lizzy was still crying, but was not nearly as hysterical as she had been.

"Jane! I'm so confused! Where are we? And Mr. Darcy was in my room! Of all things! Why is he here anyway? Oh, Jane, my head hurts so badly. Why are you looking at me like that?"

Jane did have a very peculiar look on her face. "Lizzy, we are at your home, Pemberley. Your carriage overturned on your way to visit me and you were hurt."

Lizzy merely looked at her with wide eyes.

"Jane, I don't have a clue what you're talking about. Last I remember, we were at Longbourn talking about the Meryton Assembly."

It was Jane's turn to look terrified. "Elizabeth, that was two years ago. I married Mr. Bingley and you, well, you married Mr. Darcy."

At this revelation, Elizabeth burst into hysterics again and was utterly inconsolable. When Darcy heard her, he rushed in to see what was the matter, but this only made her worse. She was hyperventilating and crying and he didn't know what to do. Fortunately, Dr. Canton arrived and took charge.

He administered a sedative that immediately calmed her down. She was soon asleep and the doctor, Jane, and Mr. Darcy were able to discuss the ordeal.

"Tell me exactly what happened," demanded Dr. Canton.

"She woke up less than an hour ago very confused. She didn't recognize her surroundings and didn't understand why I was in the room with her. She panicked and went into hysterics. She calmed down when I left, and then Mrs. Bingley entered to talk to her." Darcy's voice flatly.

"Mrs. Bingley, please tell me what she said when you spoke to her."

"Doctor, the last thing she remembers was the Meryton Assembly, a dance that we attended nearly two years ago. She doesn't-she doesn't remember anything from the last two years."

"In other words, Dr. Canton, in her mind we are not married."

"Mr. Darcy, this amnesia will very possibly disappear in the next few days. Brains are unpredictable. We just have to be patient."

"Well, we have to do something. She won't even let me in the same room with her."

"Until she regains her memory, we need to keep her calm. I will give her sedatives when necessary, but Mr. Darcy, I am going to advise that you temporarily keep your distance. Any stress on Mrs. Darcy will only make the recovery harder."

Darcy didn't respond. He was standing by the window, his body rigid.

"Mrs. Bingley, I would also ask you spend as much time with Mrs. Darcy as possible. She is comfortable with you, and I believe it will be calming to her, however, I do not want you to remind her of anything. We need her to be able to recall everything on her own."

"Yes, sir. I will return to her now, if you will excuse me." She curtsied and quickly left the room.

"Mr. Darcy, it shouldn't last long. Eventually, she will recall the past, but until then, she cannot be overwhelmed."

"I suppose you know best. Thank you for your help." Darcy had returned to his old, taciturn, stern, self overnight. He did not know any other way to deal with the emotions that were assailing him.

Darcy walked slowly to his study, completely overwhelmed with what had transpired over the last hour. He sat at his desk and his head fell into his hands.

His wife didn't remember that they were married. The last thing she remembered was the Meryton Assembly where they had met for the first time. This may have been helpful for any other man in his situation, but he had not made a very good first impression. In fact, she had hated him after that night. It took another year of hurt feelings and misunderstandings before she realized she loved him. He couldn't stand the thought that he would just have to sit back and watch. The only thing that kept him from going crazy in tough situations was action, and this situation didn't allow him any opportunity to help. The worst part was that he wouldn't be able to see his wife, talk to her, or touch her. Darcy already understood that the next few days, and possibly weeks, would be absolute torture.

"Mr. Darcy?" Mrs. Reynolds interrupted his anxious thoughts.

"Yes."

"I've brought you breakfast." She sat a tray of eggs, toast, and tea in front of him.

"I'm not hungry."

"Master Fitzwilliam, you must eat." She had not called him that since he was a child. Mrs. Reynolds was a very respectful housekeeper, but she loved the family she worked for and when they were doing something detrimental to their health she would firmly convince them otherwise. Darcy glared at her, but she held his gaze.

Finally, he succumbed and took a bite of toast.

"I also have a letter from Miss Georgiana."

He took the letter from her hands and immediately began reading it.

Fitzwilliam,

I just received Jane's letter and Aunt and Uncle and I are

distraught. Please write us with an update soon. If I don't

here from you, then we will head back to England. For the

time being, we will heed your wishes, but if at any time you

think it necessary to return, we will be on the next ship home.

Brother, you must take care of yourself. I know you, and I

believe that Mrs. Reynolds is probably having to coax you

to eat and sleep. Elizabeth needs you to be strong and Mrs.

Reynolds does not need any extra work. I love you so much,

and I'm sure Elizabeth will heal quickly.

Your loving sister,

Georgiana Darcy

Darcy stood and began pacing as he thought of how he was going to respond to Georgiana's letter. He had no idea what to say. Did he tell her the truth, or did he leave out what had happened that night? He really needed his sister with him, but he didn't want to cut her trip short. And he didn't know how her presence would effect Elizabeth. Finally, he sat down to write the letter.

Georgiana,

I am afraid that things are not much better, but in fact they are

almost worse. Elizabeth woke last night, praise the Lord, however,

she cannot recall the last two years. She doesn't remember that

we are married. She flew into hysterics when she found me in our

room. The doctor thinks that it would be best if I stayed away from

her for the time being. I would request that you return to Pemberley,

however, your presence would probably confuse her more. So I must

insist that you remain in Paris. I do not want you worrying about us.

I only told you this so that you could understand what is going on.

Enjoy yourself; immerse yourself in the art of France. I will write

if anything changes.

Fitzwilliam Darcy

Usually, the letters between brother and sister were very drawn out with details of their days. Darcy just didn't have anything to say to her. He already felt as if he were giving Georgiana too much to worry about.

He remained in his study for another few minutes, but he felt as if he were suffocating. Darcy decided to do the one thing that he knew would make him feel better. He called for his horse and soon set out at a gallop.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Elizabeth woke up in a strange dark room. Jane was sitting in a chair next to the bed, staring straight ahead.

"Jane," she whispered, "are you unwell?"

Jane's eyes flew to her sister. "Lizzy, you're awake. I am feeling quite well. How are you feeling?"

"I have a terrible headache and my entire body is sore." She winced as she tried to sit up.

"No, Lizzy, you need to stay lying down." She gently pushed Elizabeth back down onto the pillows.

"I am sore, not broken. I believe I can sit up." Lizzy was stubborn as always.

Unknown to most people, Jane could be stubborn when the situation called for it.

"Elizabeth Dar-I mean, Bennet-the doctor said you need to remain lying down. You were hurt very severely and we need to take the necessary precautions."

"What did you begin to call me?" she asked groggily.

"What are you talking about?" Jane avoided her question and refused to look her in the eye.

"You began to call me something other than 'Bennet.' What was it?"

"Nothing. Can I get you anything?" Jane changed the subject.

"I am rather thirsty." As Jane rose to pour her a glass of water, she asked, "Jane, where are we?"

"We are at Pemberley," replied her sister nonchalantly.

"Why are we at Pemberley? Is Pemberley not Mr. Darcy's home?" Jane silently thanked God that Elizabeth didn't remember what had happened that night.

"We were traveling," she lied, "and the carriage overturned. You hit your head on something and were unconscious for a couple of days. Mr. Darcy was kind enough to let us bring you here."

"How kind of him," she murmured. "This room that he has allowed us to use is very nice. I can't imagine what the master bedroom of Pemberley looks like if this is merely a guest chamber." Jane remained silent and Elizabeth continued, "I'm surprised that Mr. Darcy has been so accommodating. He was so rude at the Meryton Assembly. Did I tell you what he said about me? 'Barely tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt him.' I would have to say that he is 'barely tolerable' himself. I do not care for Mr. Darcy, nor what he thinks about me. He is so arrogant and prideful. I don't even care if he owns all of Derbyshire," she slurred as she fell back to sleep.

Jane had been standing at the window, tears silently streaming down her face, when she heard movement behind her.

"Mr. Darcy, you scared me."

"I'm apologize." He whispered as he bent down to kiss his sleeping wife's forehead.

Jane took one look at her brother-in-law and knew. "You heard what she said, didn't you?"

"Yes." Jane didn't respond, so he continued. "I was in my dressing room and overheard your conversation. I'm so ashamed that she ever thought of me that way. I can't believe she ever accepted me. Jane, it took so much to get us here, and I cannot bear the thought that she will never remember the last two years."

"Fitzwilliam, she will get better. She has to."

"But what will I do if she doesn't?"

Jane thought for a moment before quietly stating, "You'll make her fall in love with you again."

Darcy hardly slept that night, or the next night. His thoughts were a constant whirl of his wife, their baby, and fear of what the future held. He dreaded telling his wife about the miscarriage, and yet he hoped to get the opportunity, because then she would have remembered. He wondered if she would regain her memory, and when. He prayed constantly that her memory would soon be restored. He spent his days either in working diligently in his study, reading in the library, or on horseback. Darcy did whatever he could to take his mind off Elizabeth, but unfortunately, nothing seemed to help.

Dr. Canton visited both days but it was quickly becoming apparent that Elizabeth's body was healing rapidly and he was unneeded. Elizabeth was awake for hours at a time now and it was becoming harder and harder for Jane to hold back the truth. Jane had to leave sporadically throughout the day to nurse Alyssa and it was raising questions.

"Jane, where do you disappear to?" asked Lizzy. It was the second time in only a few hours that her sister had left to do something.

"I-I have to go talk to the servants about-about your tea. It's much too cold." In fact, she was going to see Charles. The couple hadn't seen each other for more than an hour in the last two days and she missed him. It was times like these that she was very thankful for an easy going husband.

"Jane Bennet, stop lying to me."

Jane stammered out something unintelligible before flying out of the room.

Lizzy huffed as she laid back on the pillows and closed her eyes. She was getting stir crazy and frustrated. It didn't help things that her sister was off doing who knows what. She was so bored! She wasn't at her own home, so she had nothing to do. Her head hurt too much to knit or read, but Jane would often read to her aloud. Sometimes, when she was alone, she would try to remember the crash and what happened before it, but nothing came to mind.

She heard the door squeak and her eyes flew open.

"Mr. Darcy!"

"Oh, excuse me, Miss Elizabeth. I didn't realize you were awake. Please forgive me." He said as he bowed neatly.

"Thank you, Mr. Darcy, for letting me intrude on your hospitality. It is most kind of you to allow my sister and I to remain here while I heal."

"You're quite welcome." He began pacing. It was something he did when he was deep in thought or very nervous. Both of which he was currently. "Elizabeth, I. Well. How are you feeling?" he stammered.

She raised her eyebrow at such an informal address, but responded with "much better thank you. Hopefully, Jane and I will not have to invade your privacy much longer."

"You are welcome to stay for as long as you would like. It is no imposition whatsoever. Mr. Bingley is a guest as well and he and Jane get along splendidly. It appears to me that you must get bored lying here all day. Can I entertain you in some way?"

Elizabeth was baffled at his pleasant attitude. "Oh, yes, I do get very bored. Why don't you tell me about yourself, Mr. Darcy?" She was very surprised when he consented.

He told her about his childhood and Georgiana, his love of horses and his business ventures. It was all stuff that she had heard before, but of course she didn't realize this. Elizabeth was bewildered. This man was talking to her as if they were the best of friends, and they were far from that.

Darcy rambled on and on, but before he knew it Elizabeth was sleeping soundly. He continued sitting next to the bed and gazed upon his beautiful wife, wishing for the days when he could touch her and love her. Finally he stood up, kissed his wife on the forehead, and whispered "I love you Lizzy" before leaving the room.

That afternoon, Lizzy was able to eat luncheon in the dining room with the others. It was a wonderful feeling, as she was getting very restless. Kathryn and Jane helped her dress in one of her gowns from before her marriage. Jane was surprised that they had kept it, but she supposed that it worked out for the best.

Darcy and Bingley were in the drawing room when Jane and Elizabeth came down for dinner. Jane entered the room first, wearing a beautiful gown of light blue. Bingley took her arm and they proceeded to the dining room.

Elizabeth followed soon after her sister and Darcy inhaled sharply.

"Eliz-Miss Bennet, you look beautiful." Her dress was the dress she had worn when she had visited Pemberley the first time. During that awful time Darcy had thought he would never see Elizabeth Bennet again and that surprise visit restored his hope.

"Thank you Mr. Darcy." She took his arm and they followed after the other couple.

They sat down at one end of the long table, Darcy at the head with his wife and sister-in-law on either side and Bingley next to Jane. It took everything in Darcy to not reach out and hold Elizabeth's hand, a habit that he had established throughout the last year.

"Mr. Bingley, it's so good to see you again. I am surprised you're not at Netherfield. What brings you here?"

Bingley glanced nervously at Darcy before answering. "Miss Elizabeth, it is wonderful to see you again as well. I have recently given up Netherfield and came to visit Darcy."

"But you just took Netherfield!"

Bingley didn't know how to respond and looked to his wife for help. "Well, Lizzy, Mr. Bingley had some serious business in London that will keep him there for quite awhile. He saw no reason to continue renting an estate that he would have no use of."

"Precisely," Bingley chipped in.

"I see. And how are your sisters?"

Their conversation continued in this manner for quite some time and Darcy did not contribute once.

"Mr. Darcy, you are awfully quiet," commented Elizabeth somewhat snidely.

"I apologize Miss Elizabeth. I am just deep in thought. Have I missed anything of importance?"

"Mr. Bingley was just telling me about his sister Caroline's engagement. And here I was, thinking she was pining after you. Pity."

Bingley nearly choked on his wine and Darcy blushed scarlet.

"Mr. Darcy?"

"I-I'm sorry. You took me by surprise. There has been no possibility of me and Caroline being anything other than friends for a couple years now."

"Oh, really? I apologize. What changed?"

"I-I fell in love with someone else."

It was Elizabeth's turn to blush. "May I ask who the lucky lady is, sir?"

"You," he whispered.

"Darcy!" interjected Bingley. "What are you doing?"

"Pardon me?"

Darcy threw all caution out the window. He was sick of pretending that everything was fine when it clearly wasn't. "Elizabeth. When the carriage overturned you hit your head and you lost some of your memory. The doctor thinks the memories will come back on their own, but I feel as if it's been long enough."

"I don't understand."

"Elizabeth, the Meryton Assembly was two years ago. Since then, Jane and Bingley have gotten married and had a baby."

"Jane? You're married? And with a baby?" she asked, incredibly bewildered.

Jane only nodded.

"That's marvelous! But Mr. Darcy, what were you saying about the two of us?"

"You and I have been married for a year."

"Married?" she asked weakly.

"Yes."

"This is absurd." Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears as she stood and tried to leave the room. Darcy grabbed her good wrist.

"Let go of me Mr. Darcy," she demanded. "There is no way that is possible. You are the most insufferable man I have ever met. You are the last man I could be prevailed upon to marry."

Darcy let go as if he were touching hot coals and he paled significantly. He was shocked to hear the exact words she had spoken nearly two years before. He felt as if his heart were breaking into millions of pieces.

Elizabeth picked up her skirts and rushed out of the room as Darcy watched helplessly.

"Aren't you going after her?" asked a very concerned Jane.

Darcy just shook his head and left the room.

What do you think?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Elizabeth darted outside, her vision blurred with tears. She didn't know where she was running, she just knew that she had to get away from Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy? I would have NEVER married Mr. Darcy. He must be lying, but I suppose Jane would tell me the truth. Married? To Mr. Darcy? I don't even like the man. He is so rude! So arrogant and prideful and conceited and selfish and haughty...

Her thoughts continued in this manner as she ran through the woods outside of Pemberley. A few things were against her, however. The first, and most obvious, was that she had been in bed for nearly a week and the simple act of walking tended to tire her. The running she was currently doing was exhausting and it causing a terrible headache. The second problem was that she had no idea where she was going. A week previous, she would have known exactly where she was, but without her memory, she didn't have the slightest clue. She didn't know why she was running, but she felt as if she couldn't stop. Suddenly, she felt a blinding pain behind her eyes and she collapsed.

"What were you thinking?" asked an angry Bingley a few hours later, "She's still fragile and you decided to tell her everything?"

"Charles, you have no right to judge the way I deal with my wife," countered an equally angry Darcy. "The lying was getting us nowhere. She was no closer to remembering anything. I decided it was time to tell her."

"You should have at least talked to Dr. Canton first."

Darcy didn't respond. He was too busy thinking and pacing. He knew that Elizabeth hadn't known what she was saying, but the words she had spoken cut him deeply.

He looked up when he heard a knock on the door.

"Sir, Mrs. Darcy has not returned. In fact, no one has seen her since she ran off and it just started raining." Three hours ago, Darcy had instructed Mrs. Reynolds to notify him the moment Elizabeth returned.

"I need to go look for her," he said with fear in his eyes. "She should be back by now. Something has happened."

The two men rushed outside and mounted their horses. Bingley rode to the east and Darcy to the west. After thirty minutes of searching, the two discouraged riders met up.

"Darcy, we need to form a search party."

He nodded wearily. "I'll call Mr. Ambrose."

A party of fifty men split up and searched the woods systematically. It was getting dark and cold and Darcy was increasingly worried. He was searching over by a stream when he heard a whistle. He galloped towards the sound and found a party of five men surrounding his wife.

She was lying on the ground, unconscious yet again. Her clothes were torn and covered in dirt and she looked deathly pale.

"Oh, Elizabeth," he breathed. He gingerly picked her up and placed her on the horse before climbing on behind her. "Someone get the doctor," he ordered, "Hurry!"

He rode as fast as he could without injuring Elizabeth in any way and soon arrived at Pemberley. He rode up to the door and jumped off his horse, cautiously lifting Elizabeth and carrying her up the steps.

"Get the fires going upstairs," barked Darcy, "Mrs. Reynolds I need-Georgiana!" He was shocked to see his sister standing in the foyer.

"Fitzwilliam! I came as soon as- My gosh what happened?" she exclaimed.

"Mrs. Reynolds come with me. Mrs. Darcy has become ill again. Georgiana, stay downstairs," he ordered tersely.

His sister ignored his demands and followed him into the master bedchambers.

"Fitzwilliam, is she going to be okay?"

"Georgiana, I told you to stay downstairs!" He exclaimed as he laid Elizabeth on the bed.

Georgiana ignored him and helped get Elizabeth out of her wet clothes. They had just finished putting her in a dry nightgown when Dr. Canton walked in.

"Doctor, we found her unconscious in the rain, and we don't know how long she's been unconscious."

"What was she doing outside?" he asked Darcy as he examined Mrs. Darcy.

"She ran off."

"And why did she run off, may I ask?"

Darcy drew himself up to his full height and put on his Master of Pemberley face. "Because I told her the truth."

Dr. Canton merely nodded. He knew better than to rebuke the Master of Pemberley. How Mr. Darcy decided to handle the circumstances was his decision, Dr. Canton could only make suggestions.

"Well, Mr. Darcy, everything appears to be normal. I cannot find a reason for her to be found unconscious. It may be that her brain is rejuvenating itself. We will just have to wait for her to wake. In the meantime, keep her warm. I do worry that she will catch a cold from being out in the rain."

Darcy and Georgiana walked the doctor to the door before heading to his study where Darcy filled his sister in on everything that had happened. His face was a mask devoid of any emotion, something Georgiana had come to expect when emotions were too difficult for him to handle.

After Darcy had told her everything, Georgiana told him that the moment she read his letter, she and their aunt and uncle packed up their belongings and set for home. Darcy chided her, but she explained to him that Elizabeth was her sister and she wouldn't have done the same thing for anyone other than her brother and his wife. She was disappointed that she was only able to spend a week on the Continent, but she assured him that she would rather be at Pemberley. Finally, Georgiana expressed her exhaustion from the voyage, so she went to bed, leaving Darcy alone.

He could only think of the awful words she had spoken at lunch. You are the most insufferable man I have ever met. You are the last man I could ever be prevailed upon to marry. He knew that she it was the amnesia talking, but that didn't make the words hurt any less. He fell asleep on the couch that night, something that had become a normal occurrence over the last week or so. He assumed that his presence would bother Elizabeth, so he trusted that Jane would take care of her. He hadn't slept well since the accident, and that night was no different, however, he was woken in the middle of the night by Mrs. Reynolds.

"Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy is asking for you," she whispered. It was dark, so he couldn't see her face, but if he'd been able to he would have seen a wide grin.

He sat up immediately, thinking something was wrong. "Is Elizabeth well?"

"Oh, yes sir! She just needs to see you."

Curious, Darcy quickly walked to his bedroom. He opened the door and saw Elizabeth sitting up in bed crying.

"Elizabeth, are you ill? Where is Jane?"

"Oh, Fitzwilliam, I am so sorry," she sobbed. "I am an awful, terrible, person."

"What are you talking about?"

"I hate to think of what you thought of me. We finally got past that first proposal and I repeated those horrid words-"

"Wait. You remember?"

Elizabeth nodded miserably.

"Oh, thank God!" He pulled her to his chest and kissed her passionately.

"Fitzwilliam, please forgive me."

"For what?"

"For everything I've put you through the last week! I'm so embarrassed and ashamed and I cannot bear to think of how I've hurt you."

He kissed away her tears, not realizing that his were mixed in as well. "Elizabeth Darcy, none of this is your fault. Do you understand me? If it's anyone's fault it's my own."

"Yours? That's absurd," she contradicted stubbornly.

"No. I should have been here with you. I would have protected you."

"And how would you have done that, may I ask? Last I checked, Mr. Darcy, you are very strong, but I'm almost positive you're not strong enough to keep a carriage from tumbling down a hill."

"I would have found a way. But let's not argue. I'm just glad you're here again." And he kissed her gently, not a kiss of passion, but a kiss of genuine love.

Elizabeth was still exhausted, so Darcy was unable to love her in the way he desired, but they slept in each other's arms for the first time in over a month and Darcy was overjoyed.

Well...? Any feedback?


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next morning, Darcy woke up next to his bride and watched her sleep peacefully for an hour. Finally, when she began to stir, he began to pepper her face with kisses.

"Mmm good morning," she said softly.

"I love you Elizabeth Darcy."

"I love you too. Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"What?"

"I forgot to tell you because of all the chaos last night!" Her face was radiant. "Fitzwilliam, we are going to have a baby. Can you believe it? The doctor confirmed it when you were away."

Darcy's face fell and he looked away.

"Darling, you don't seem very excited," she said, annoyed at her husband's reaction.

"Elizabeth," he whispered, "there's something I haven't told you yet."

She looked at her husband expectantly.

"You lost the baby in the accident." She inhaled sharply. "Elizabeth, I am so, so sorry," he choked.

She just stared at him without moving a muscle. There were no emotions on her face other than shock.

"Elizabeth?"

"We're not going to have a baby."

Darcy shook his head and took her in his arms. She melted into him, finally giving way to her emotions and sobbed. They cried in each other's embrace until Elizabeth's exhausted body eventually gave way to sleep.

Darcy wanted to remain with his wife and hold her until she woke up, but there were some pressing business matters that he had to attend to. He left his wife, fully intending to return within the hour.

Three hours later, he returned to their bed chambers to find his wife still in bed and staring at the wall with tears running silently down her face.

"Elizabeth, sweetheart, talk to me," he said, trying to draw her out of herself.

She was unresponsive. She didn't move or talk or sniffle. She merely stared straight in front of her.

He grabbed her hands. "Elizabeth Darcy, look at me." Again, it was as if she hadn't heard him. He gently grabbed her face and turned it towards himself. Her eyes were completely glazed over, as if she weren't looking at him. There was no life in her eyes.

"Elizabeth, please talk to me."

"I don't know what to say. You probably hate me," she whispered. "Our baby died because of me. I'm not fit to be a mother."

"Elizabeth Darcy," he said forcefully, "I do not hate you. Nothing you could ever do would make me hate you. I love you more than life itself. Please believe that. And it is not your fault. Do you hear me? You did absolutely nothing wrong. There was nothing you could have done.

"Sweetheart, please listen to me. I am so so sorry that we lost our baby," his eyes filled with tears as he began talking to his mourning wife, "It's not fair and you certainly do not deserve it. But God knows. It doesn't seem like any good could come of this right now, but Elizabeth, it will. We will be stronger for it. We still have each other. We will get through this. Eventually, when you're ready, we will try again. But until then, I've got you. I love you so much."

"Oh, Fitzwilliam, I love you too," she cried as she fell into his embrace. Darcy knew then that things would get better. They had a long road ahead of them, but there were brighter days ahead.

Should it end here...?


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy New Year! I finally figured out what I wanted to do with this, so I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to review! It gives me incentive to write more. I do apologize for how short it is, though. I was writing it at 3 in the morning.**

For weeks after she had been told about the miscarriage, Elizabeth had been despondent, almost catatonic, and it had worried Darcy to no end. He had to beg her to eat any food and he would often wake at night to her muffled sobs. It broke his heart to see her like that, but there was nothing he could do. He figured that either time or another baby were the only two things that could begin to heal her wounds.

One afternoon, however, she snapped. Darcy had been in his study when he heard the smashing of glass and yelling.

He rushed from his office to see the servants standing terrified outside of the master bedroom.

"What is going on?" he asked.

Everyone remained silent, so he repeated his question. Finally, one of the servants stepped forward.

"We heard Mrs. Darcy scream, sir, but when Kathryn ran in to see what the problem was, Mrs. Darcy yelled at her to leave and threw something at her. We were unsure what to do, Mr. Darcy."

His eyes widened in shock and he opened the door to find his wife, still in her nightgown, a crazed look on her face that he had never seen. She hadn't noticed him and was still throwing glasses when he crept up behind her. Quickly, he put his arms tightly around her and rendered her unable to do any more damage to their things. She struggled, but he refused to let go of her arms. Rather, he turned her around to face him and when he did he could see the anguish that she was feeling. And the fury.

"Let me go!" she shrieked, pushing against his chest. "Let me go!"

He just held on to her thrashing arms tighter. "Elizabeth, it is okay."

Either she ignored him, or didn't hear him, because she struggled even more. "Let me go!" Somehow, she got a hand free and slapped him.

"Elizabeth Darcy, stop," commanded her stunned husband in his 'Master of Pemberley' voice.

Realizing what she had done, she wilted in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Darcy gently lowered the two of them to the ground and held her, murmuring words of reassurance and forgiveness as he gently stroked her hair.

"Sweetheart, it is alright. You are okay, Elizabeth. You have to calm down."

"I-I am s-so sorry," she bawled.

Darcy rocked them back and forth until she her sobs turned to whimpers.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently. In response, she picked up a crumpled paper that was sitting next to her and handed it to him.

"Just read it," she said hoarsely.

Her husband smoothed it out and quickly read through a letter that appeared to be from Charlotte Collins. It wasn't until the end of the letter that he understood.

_My dear Lizzy, you must congratulate me! Mr. Collins and I are expecting another child this coming June. Can you believe it? The good Lord has already blessed me so much with my darling Christopher and now he has given me even more joy..._

"Oh, my dear," he whispered, pulling her into his arms yet again.

"I am sorry. I do not know what came over me. I certainly cannot react like that each time one of my friends finds out that she is expecting. Please forgive me, Fitzwilliam."

"Sweetheart, the only thing that you need forgiveness for is the pulverizing you did of my favorite vase," he grinned. "But you are right. You cannot go on a rampage every time you are reminded of the child that we lost. We _will _have another, Elizabeth. I firmly believe that. Besides, we have not even had the opportunity to try because of how long it is taking you to heal. Patience is the key, my dear."

Elizabeth smiled up at him, the first smile he had seen in months, and kissed him softly.

"Can we try now?"

Mr. Darcy simply smiled and rose from their spot on the floor to lock the door.


	10. Chapter 10

**It's my last chapter of this story! It's short, but I hope you're happy with the outcome.**

It had taken awhile. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth spent months and months trying for another child, only to be disappointed. Neither could admit, however, that the trying was not enjoyable. Finally, one December morning after a conversation with her doctor, Elizabeth had the privilege of telling her husband that they would be welcoming a child into their family in seven months.

Seven months had gone by and a very large, very grumpy Elizabeth was lying on the chaise lounge in their bedroom.

"Fitzwilliam, I do not believe this child shall _ever _come out," she whined. They had calculated that the baby should have come the week before and she was losing patience. She could hardly move anymore because she was so large.

Mr. Darcy walked over and started to massage her feet, earning a moan from his wife. It had been decided that he would not venture further than the gardens so that he would be there when Elizabeth's birthing pains started.

"It will happen soon, my darling. I know that our child is as eager to see us as we are to see her."

She snorted. "I do hope it is a _he _rather than a _her _or I shall never hear the end of it from my mother."

"Well, that would be rather hypocritical of her, would it not?"

"True." Elizabeth winced, her hand immediately going to her back.

Mr. Darcy tensed. Every move that Elizabeth made caused him to jump into action. "Are you alright? Are the pains finally starting? Is the child coming today?" He would be lying if he said that he was not concerned for his wife. Considering how the last pregnancy had gone and that his own mother's had ended in her death, he was very nervous.

His wife grasped his hand. "Dearest, I need you to relax. I have had pains in my lower back for several days now. The doctor says its part of the natural process."

He chose to ignore her. "Perhaps we should take a walk. The doctor also says that walking speeds up the process."

Elizabeth hesitated, choosing between the comfort of the chaise lounge and the possibility of getting the child out of her body. The baby won. Darcy pulled her up and supported her as they walked down the hallways of Pemberley. They discussed many things, including the preparations for the baby, the baby's possible personality traits, and how they were going to tell all of their friends and family when they baby was finally born. They had chosen not to invite anyone for the birth because Elizabeth wasn't sure she could handle her mother's incessant shrilling.

"Are you sure you are alright with calling him Fitzwilliam if it is a boy?" she questioned for the umpteenth time. I know you are not particularly fond of the name, but I do so wish-"

Darcy looked up when she paused and noticed her pallor. "Lizzie, what is the matter?"

"I think my waters just broke," she whispered. "It is time."

The next few moments were a whirlwind of activity. Darcy carried her into the prepared room and called the servants. Within the hour, Elizabeth was changed into a nightgown and situated on the bed, the doctor was sent for, and the midwife had arrived. Knowing that she was in good hands, Elizabeth turned to her husband.

"Fitzwilliam, darling, I believe it is time for you to go now. The next time I see you, you shall be a father."

Darcy hesitated. He did not want to leave her, but he knew that propriety demanded it. He kissed her soundly, ignoring all of the people around them, and then took his place in a chair outside the bedroom door.

There he waited all day and all night. He listened to the conversations of the doctor and the midwife. He clocked the comings and goings of the servants. Worst of all, he listened in agony to the shrieks of his wife. Finally, after sixteen hours of labor, the wailings of his wife were replaced with the wailings of a newborn.

The doctor came out, the exhaustion on his face evident. "Mr. Darcy, you may see your wife now."

Darcy rushed into the room and immediately beheld his wife lying on the bed with a babe nursing at her breast. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hair was matted with sweat, but she was glowing. He had never seen her look so beautiful in his entire life. When she heard his footsteps he looked up from the face of the suckling baby into his eyes and smiled.

"Fitzwilliam, darling, meet your son. Henry Fitzwilliam Darcy."

Tears sprang to his eyes as he saw his child for the first time. He knew then and there that he would never be the same again. His heart now had made room for another love and this was a love that could never be broken.

**Let me know what you think and REVIEW! Pretty please.**


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